Block and despatching system for railways.



vNo. 805,419. PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905. R. W. GALLAGHER & G. P. GILLETT. BLOCK AND DBSPATOHING SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.5. 1904.

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No. 805,419. PATENTED Nov. 21, 1905.

R. W. GALLAGHER & G. F. GILLETT. BLOCK AND DESPATOHING SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.5,1 904.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

INVENTOHS No. 805,419. PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905.

R. W. GALLAGHER & G. F. GILLETT. BLOCK AND DESPATOHING SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYS.

I APPLIGATION FILED FEB.5.1904.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

RICHARD WM. GALLAGHER AND GEORGE F. GILLETT, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNORS OF FOUR-FIFTHS TO SAID GALLAGHER AND ONE-FIFTH TO LIONEL A. WOLFF, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

BLOCK AND DESPATCHING SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed February 5, 1904. Serial No. 192,247.

To all whom it may concern:

I Be it known that we, RICHARD WM. GAL- LAGHER and GEORGE F. GILLETT, citizens of the United States, residing at San Francisco,

in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Block and Despatching Systems for Railways, of which the following is a specification.

IO Our invention relates to improvements in apparatus for preventing train wrecks on railroads of all kinds, either steam, electric, 01' of other motive power.

The object of our invention is to provide a I 5 system of blocks so arranged that two trains upon the same track whether running in the same or in opposite directions are automatically prevented from approaching within a given distance from each other.

It comprises means for automatically shutting off the steam in case of trains drawn by steam locomotives and by setting the air- .brakes; also. for awakening the engineer if he has fallen asleep.

Our improvement further comprises means for automatically stopping a train in case of the destruction of a bridge to which the train is approaching or in case of the spreading of the rails to a greater distance than the stand- 0 ard gage.

It further comprises means whereby in case a passenger or a freight train should enter a side track, but should not get sufficiently far in so as to leave the main track clear, all other 3 5 trains on the main track approaching said side track within a predetermined distance will be automatically stopped, and, again, the train could not move out of the siding until the main track is clear.

The main feature of our invention is that the whole of the apparatus for closing the throttle-valve and applying the air-brakes will be operated automatically and will depend upon no human agency in any degree.

Our invention therefore residesinthenovel construction, combination, and arrangement 1 of parts for the above ends hereinafter fully specified, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

5 In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a railway-track equipped with our improved system. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the application of the system to a siding. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a locomotive equipped with our improvements. Fig. 4 is a rear view of the same. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of the shoe. Fig.

6 is an enlarged perspective view of the brushes. Fig. 7 is a planview of one of the boxes, the contact-plate being removed. Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse section of one of said boxes. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a sidingswitch for use with our improved system. Fig. 10 is a horizontal section thereof. Fig.

11 is a rear view of the boiler of the locomotive equipped with our improvements. Fig. 12 is a plan view of the same, the electrical part being shown diagrammatically. Fig. 13

is a similar view of a modified form of the invention. Fig. 14 is a diagrammatic view of 7 the electrical mechanism for operating the airbrake valve. Fig. 15 is an enlarged perspective sectional view of the device for operating the throttle-lever.

In the accompanying drawings,1 represents 7 5 the rails of a track equipped with our improved apparatus. Along said rails. on the outer sides thereof, about ten inches from the rails, are arranged a series of contact rails or plates 2 3 4 5. These plates are arranged in 0 groups of four on each side of the track. The combined length of a group, together with the space between the individual members of the group, will constitute substantially thelength of a single block, the object of the invention 5 being to preventtwo trains arriving upon the same block at the same time. The contactrails 2 3 4 5 are adapted to come into contact in succession with a shoe 6 on the right-hand side of the coal-tender of the locomotive. The 9 contact-shoe 6 is supported by means of links 7 from the beam 8 of the coal-tender and is upheld by a pair of springs 9. From said contact-shoe there extends a wire 10, leading to the metal of the truck, by which the circuit 5 is carried to the wheel which is on the adjacent rail. As soon, then, as the shoe arrives upon the contact 2 the circuit is completed from said contact-rail through a local battery 11 around a pair of magnetic solenoids 12 and back to the railadjacent to said shoe. These local batteries and solenoids are placed at suitable locations .on, the track. The solen- IOO oids have: cores l3, which are attached to a crosspiece 14,- secured to standards 15, caro 5 rying atthe top a broad contact-plate 16.

The solenoids are contained in a box 17, and the contact-plate forms the top of the box, completely inclosing the solenoids. When said solenoids are energized, the contact-plate is drawn laterally or transversely toward the right-hand rail of the track. It is thus drawn into such position that it will close a contact between two copper brushes 18, carried at the front end of a locomotive of a succeeding train, and by means which will be hereinafter described will thus automatically shutoff the steam and apply the air-brakes to said train, stopping the same. .It will thus be seen that the function of the first contact-plate 2 is to prevent a rear-end collision with the next succeeding train. This contact-plate will remain in this transverse position after the shoe has left the plate 2 and until it is positively shifted to its original position in the manner hereinafter described. The shoe carried, by the coal-tender will now pass into contact with the second contact-plate 3. This plate is connected by a wire 19 with the outside pair 20 of four solenoids arranged adjacent to the other rail of the track, said wire being connected to said other rail andhaving a battery 20 therein, this at substantially a block ahead, energizing said solenoids. This contact in the same manner as before draws the corresponding contact-plate outward or toward the rail, putting it in such position as to close the pair of contact-brushes carried by the front end of a train coming in the opposite direction. The train under consideration has therefore now protected itself against a head-on collision from a train coming in the opposite direction, as well as from a rear-end collision. Rails 4 5 are for the purpose of removing these safeguards, the train having advanced sufliciently far to permit this to be done. For this purpose rail 4 is connected by a wire 21 with the inner pair 22 of the second group of solenoids on the opposite side of the track, so that upon the contact-shoe coming into contact with said rail 4. the circuit is closed and the inner pair 22 of solenoids are energized, and the contact-plate which had been set by this train a block behind is now moved away from the opposite rail, so that it is no longer in position to close the contact-brushes of any locomotive passing'over it. In the same manner in passing over the contact-plate 5 the shoe closes the circuit through a wire 24, passing to the inner pair 25 of solenoids on the righthand side of the track, but a block behind, which withdraws the contact-plate which was set by the train a block behind and permits a succeeding train to pass that point. It will be observed that this circuit is arranged symmetrically with regard to the two sides of the track. On either side of the track the contact rails which perform their several functions are reached in the following order: first, that which sets the safety-plate a block behind, then that which sets the safety-plate a block ahead, then that which releases the safety-plate which was last a block ahead, then that which releases the safety-plate which was last a block behind.

It is to be understood that in practice the rails of one group follow those of the preceding group at suitable intervals. Also the rails and in like manner the solenoid-boxes for operating the system on one side of the track alternate in position with those on the other.

Havingnow described the general operation of the system, we will proceed to describe the mechanism by which the necessary mechanical actions are performed by the closing of the above circuits.

It has been stated that in all cases circuits were made through two contact-brushes carried in front of the locomotive. These contact-brushes are conveniently carried just behind the cattle-guard 29 and extend to a level slightly lower than the bottom of the cattleguard to enable them to come in contact with the contact-plate 16, which is passed over by the cattle-guard. These brushes are connected by wires 31 with a battery 32 and a magnet 33. As soon as said connection is made the magnet 33 is energized and attracts a lever 34, pivoted at 35. The movement of said lever raises a book 36, which allows a drop 37 to fall, closing a circuit through wires 38 39, a battery 40, and around magnets 41 in the handle 42 of a throttle-lever 43. These magnets being energized attract the latchhandle 44 and release it from the rack 45, allowing said lever 43 freedom of movement. It immediately begins to move inward under the action of atmospheric pressure on a piston 27, working in a closed cylinder 46. When the throttle-lever was drawn out, its movement produced a vacuum in said cylinder 46, and as soon as the lever is released and is free to move it therefore moves in under the action of atmospheric pressure. This movement closes the throttle-valve of the boiler and shuts off steam.

In Fig. 13 we have shown a modified form of the means for actuating the throttle-lever. In this modification there are provided a series of magnets 47, arranged opposite to armatures 48 upon the throttle-lever, so that by energizing said magnets by closing the current around them in the same manner as before said throttle-lever is attracted, producing the same result as before. At the same time that the throttle-lever is applied a circuit 49 is closed through a battery and bell, causing said bell to ring and awakening the engine-driver if he should be asleep. This same circuitmay be also continued to the baggage, mail car, and passenger-coaches, if desired, in like manner ringing bells therein to notify the conductor of the train. An advantageous feature of this latter construction is the fact that by throwing the drop 37 the engineer can thereby immediately set the bells ringing throughout the train and notify the passengers and railway officials of a holdup on the train or of other danger;

The device for automatically applying the air-brake is as follows: Wires lead from the two wires 31 through a battery 51 and then around a magnet 52, energizing said magnet when the circuit is closed, and thereby closing a break 53 in a wire 54, connected to a vibrating switch-55, said switch being drawn in opposite directions by springs 56. Said switch is adapted in its vibratory movement to contact alternately with spring-plates 57 58. Said plates are connected by wires 59 60, passing through solenoids 61 62, with batteries 63 64 connected to the other side of the break so closed. It follows, therefore, that when said break is closed a circuit through one or the other of said batteries and the corresponding solenoid will be closed, according to which of the spring-plates 57 58 the vibrating switch is in contact with at the time. The closure of said circuit attracts the cores of said solenoid in such direction as to move a bar 66 longitudinally or parallel to said cores. Said bar is provided at the end near the switch with a rounded boss 67, which engages the end of the vibrating switch and pushes it from the spring-plate with which it was in contact to the other spring-plate and then moves pastit. Said switch thereupon immediately closes the circuit through the other battery and pair of solenoids, and thereby causes it to reverse its movement. Thus there is set up a reciprocating movement in said bar 66. Said bar is connected to a forked cross-piece 68, the forks of which engage an arm 69, actuating a valve 70 in a branch pipe 71, connecting the supply branch of the airbrake pipe with the operating branch thereof--in other words, shunting the ordinary air-brake valve 72. The effect of all this is to open and close said auxiliary valve 70 repeatedly. The reason for imparting this reciprocating movement to said valve 70 is to allow the pressure to beapplied to the brakes gradually instead of suddenly, which would produce such a violent stoppage on the brake as to cause serious'damage. In other words, the device performs by mechanical and electrical means but automatically the same function as the engineer does in applying his brake slowly and gradually to prevent damage to the train by too sudden a stoppage of the same.

In Figs. 2, 9, 10 is illustrated the application of this system to a siding on the track. In these figures, 72 represents the tracks of the siding. 7 3 represents the ordinary switch opcrated by the lever 74 to let a train pass onto the side track. In applying our invention this switch is arranged by its movement to close a circuit by means of a contact-plate 75 and a brush 76 moving with the switch, said circuit comprising a wire 77, running rearwardly to a box 78, similar to those already described in connection with Fig. 1, around solenoids 79 in said box, thence to a battery 80, thence to the adjacent rail. The other wire 81 runs in the opposite direction around a similar solenoid 82 through a battery 87 to the other rail. When the switch is closed to permit main-line traffic, this circuit is broken at the points 75 76, so that the arrival of a train in proximity to these points does not close the circuit; but if the switch has been left open the circuit is closed at the points 75 76, and the arrival of a train into proximity to these points closes the circuit across the rails, arresting the train when it arrives at either of the solenoids 79 82. If it is desired to run the train onto the siding, the switch is closed to break the circuit and permit the train to advance and is then opened again to allow the train to run in. Furthermore, additional provision is made for safeguarding the track when a train passes into the siding. This is done by means of a contact-plate 83 outside the siding-rail connected by a wire 84 with solenoids 85 and batteries 86, thence by a wire to the rail. This circuit is closed by the shoe contacting with the plate 83 in the same manner as before, setting the safetyplate at the solenoids 85, so as to arrest any subsequent train, this plate being then returned to its inoperative position by the other solenoids at 85 when the train is safely in the siding and the shoe arrives at the advanced contact-plate 88, the circuit being then made through said other solenoids and through battery 89.

It is to be understood that the wires connecting the various blocks are to be inclosed in an iron pipe. This pipe may be used for telegraphic or telephonic communications, as when a train is blocked on the track the engine-driver or conductor can communicate with the train on the same track ata distance to ascertain the cause of the stoppage.

The electrical current for operating these devices can be furnished either by local batteries or by small storage batteries along the line or by having a small dynamo on each engine.

We claim 1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of means on a train for arresting the train, an electrical circuit for energizing said means, said circuit comprising a movable local contact, electromagnetic means for moving said contact, said means comprising a circuit, a battery therefor and a device in said circuit whereby the circuit can be closed by the passage of a train, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of means on a train for arresting the train, an electrical circuit for energizing said means, said circuit being IIO &

normally opened, a series of movable devices along the track for closing said circuit, and means operated by the passage of a train for moving said devices in succession into an operative position to close the circuits of succeeding'trains, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus. of the character described, the combination of means on a train for arresting the train, an electrical circuit for energizing said means, said circuit being normally opened, a series of movable devices along the track for closing said circuit, and electromagnetic means operated by the passage of a train for moving said devices in succession into an operative position to close the circuits of succeeding trains, substantially as described.

4:. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of means on a train for arresting the train, an electrical circuit for energizing said means, said circuit being normally opened, a series of movable devices along the track for closing said circuit, means operated by the passage of a train for moving said devices in succession into an operative position to close the circuits of succeeding trains, and means operated by the passage of a train at a farther point on the track for moving said devices back to their original position to render them inoperative on the succeeding train, substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of means on a train for arresting the train, an electrical circuit for energizing said means, a series of movable devices at suitable intervals upon the track, adapted when in proper position to close the electrical circuit on the train as the train passes, means operated by the passage of a train to move said devices into a position operative upon a succeeding train, an additional series of devices arranged at suitable intervals upon the track for closing said circuit on a passing train, and means adapted to be operated in succession by a train coming in the opposite direction at a point sufi iciently in advance of each device for moving said device into an operative position to arrest said first train, substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus of the character described,the combination of means on atrain for arresting the train, an electrical circuit for energizing said means, a series of groups of de vices, arranged at suitable intervals on the track, and arranged in succession to close said circuits, and means for actuating the several devices of each group, first to move one of said devices into operative position to close the electrical circuit of the succeeding train, and to move another device into operative position to close the electrical circuit of a train approachingin the opposite direction and then to replace said devices in their inoperative positions, substantially as described.

7. In an apparatus of the character de scribed, the combination of means on a train for arresting the train, an electrical circuit for energizing said means, a transversely-movable safety-plate between the rails of the track, said safety-plate being in one position operative and in another position inoperative to close said circuit, means actuated by the passage of a train for moving said safetyplate transversely into its operative position, and means actuated by the passage of a train at a farther-point on the track for moving said plate transversely in the opposite direction into its inoperative position, substantially as described.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, a combination of means on a train 'for arresting the train, an electrical circuit for energizing said means, a series of pairs of transversely-movable safety-plates between the rails of the track, one plate of the pair being on one side of the center and the other on the other side, and corresponding series of groups of devices for moving said safetyplates transversely, certain of said devices moving one of the plates into operative position to close the circuit in a succeeding train and to move the other plate into operative position to close the circuit on a train approaching in the opposite direction, and certain of the devices, operated at subsequent points in the track, moving said plates to their original position of inoperativeness, substantially as described.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of means on a train for arresting the train, an electrical circuit for energizing said means, transversely-movable safety-plates adapted in their operative position to close the circuit of a passing train, and electromagnetic means for transversely moving said safety-plates, said means comprising contacts adapted to be closed by the passage of a train, one to move a safety-plate into position to arrest a succeeding train, another to move a safety-plate into position to arrest a train approaching in the opposite direction and two others for withdrawing safety-plates to their original position, substantially as described.

10. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of means on a train for arresting the train. an electrical circuit for energizing said means, a pair of brushes in said circuit, a transversely-movable safety-plate adapted in one position to contact with both of said brushes and in another with only one of them, and means operated by the passage of a train for so transversely moving said safety-plate, substantially as described.

11. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of means on a train for arresting the train, an electrical circuit for energizing said means, a siding-switch, a transversely movable safety plate on the main track on each side of said switch, electromagnetic means for moving each safety-plate, and a circuit through said electromagnetic means, said circuit having a break adapted to be closed when the switch is opened into the siding, substantially as described.

12. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of means on a train for arresting the train comprising a throttle-lever for the steam having a latch-handle, electromagnetic means adapted when energized to attract said latch-handle and release it, an electrical circuit containing said electromagnetic means, and means on the track, adapted to be operated by the passage of the train, for closing said circuit, substantially as described.

13. In an apparatus of the character described, means for applying the air-brake on the train comprising means for automatically reciprocating the valve of the air-brake pipe to open and close it a plurality of times in succession and means on the track actuated by the passage of a train, for applying said reciprocatingmeans, substantially as described.

14. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a valve for controlling the air-brake pipe, automatic means'for reciprocating said valve to open and close it a plurality of times in succession comprising an electrical circuit, and means operated by the passage'of a train for closing said circuit, substantially as described.

15. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination with the air-brake pipe, and valve therein, an electromagnet arranged to open and close said valve by being energized or deenergized, a vibrating switch for energizing and deenergizing the electromagnet, and means whereby said switch is vibrated automatically, substantially as described.

16. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination, with the railroadtrack, of contact-rails along the sides of said track, shoes carried by the train arranged to contact with said rails, electric circuits part of which are carried by the trains, the remainder being completed by the contact-rails and stationary connections therewith, batteries and magnets in the parts of said circuits carried by said trains, and means whereby the closure of said circuits actuates the throttlelever and the air-brakes of the trains, and means whereby the closure of the circuit for operating the air-brake is made intermittently whereby the air-brake is applied slowly and without shock, substantially as described.

In Witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

RICHARD WM. GALLAGHER.

GEORGE E. GILLETT. \Vitnesses:

FRANoIs M. WVRIGHT,

BESSIE GoRFINKEL. 

